Sammy and Jymi, just a couple of dudes that have been reviewing beers weekly since 2017.
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MUSE ON BOOZE
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STINKY BAY SESSION IPA
BEER REVIEW: 452
BREWER: Stinky Bay Brewing Co, St Lawrence, Jersey
STYLE: Session IPA
ABV: 4.2%
VESSEL: 330ml tin
DATE OF POST: 5th June 2026
JYMI SAY’S…
Pouring quite dark and having the flavour of slight toffee and malts, Stinky Bay’s Session IPA does not present as such.
Is that a problem?
Well, yes and no…
See, if you buy something that is labelled as a session IPA, you kind of expect an orange colour in pour and crisp citrus drinking. If you had bought a flat of this hosting a BBQ on a scorching hot blue sky day, I think that you and your guests might be a little perturbed. That crisp citrus drinking would be wanted yet not delivered you see.
However, if you forget the session IPA label and take the beer for what it is, it is quite nice. The toffee tones are tasty and the malty backbone holds things together nicely enough.
So in conclusion, an decent enough brew for sure, but not really the session like IPA we have come to expect since the advent of this oxymoron of a beer style.
Jymi’s Rating: 64%
SAMMY SAY’S…
Stinky Bay IPA arrives with a name that immediately raises an eyebrow and a smile. It leans into its coastal roots with a wink, the kind of branding that knows exactly what it’s doing. The can art helps sell the joke: sea‑spray colours, shoreline graphics, and a sense that this beer has spent its life somewhere breezy, salty, and a little mischievous. Even before you crack it open, it feels like it’s telling you not to take things too seriously.
Pour it into a glass and the colour is a pleasant surprise. A deep amber glow, richer than many session IPAs, catching the light like late‑afternoon sun on wet sand. Then comes the aroma; not fishy, thankfully, but not exactly a bouquet of roses either. It sits somewhere in between: sweet grapefruit, a grassy edge, and a faint coastal sharpness that gives it character without tipping into anything off‑putting. It’s the kind of nose that makes you think of sea air drifting through citrus groves, slightly wild but oddly inviting.
The flavour follows through with a similar sense of balance. There’s a sweet caramel backbone that gives the beer more body than you expect, followed by a gentle citrus lift and a burnt‑caramel finish that lingers just long enough to make you appreciate it. It’s not trying to be a crowd‑pleaser in the conventional sense. Instead, it leans into its quirks; a session IPA with a point of difference, something that stands apart from the endless parade of hazy, tropical clones.
There’s also something quietly admirable about the brewery’s ethos. A portion of profits goes to good causes, which adds a layer of warmth to the experience. It’s a small gesture, but it fits the beer’s personality: slightly rough around the edges, but with a good heart underneath.
Stinky Bay IPA won’t be for everyone. It has a distinctive profile that some drinkers will love and others will politely sidestep. But that’s part of its charm. It doesn’t come up smelling of roses, and it doesn’t pretend to. Instead, it brings a coastal swagger, a bit of sweetness, a bit of grit, and a flavour that feels like it belongs to a place rather than a trend. For those who enjoy something a little different, it’s a beer with a story worth sipping.
Sammy’s Rating: 67%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 65.5%
MOB review next weekend: STAR by NIGERIAN BREWERIES
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Bluesky: @museonbooze.bsky.social
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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M O B 2026
HERM GOLD
BEER REVIEW: 451
BREWER: Liberation Brewing Co, St Saviour, Jersey
STYLE: Blonde
ABV: 4.2%
VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle
DATE OF POST: 29th May 2026
JYMI SAY’S…
Not long ago did I take a trip to Jersey so…
…early temptations to make this review a limerick have already evaporated!
So, me and my sister headed over to the southernmost Channel Island about a month ago. The reason? We’ve got family history there but had never actually set foot on the place. Felt overdue.
To summarise the trip… lighthouse, seafood, wine, beer, seafood, long hunt for great-grandfather’s grave, handbrake turn, seafood, wine, beer, handbrake turn, met long lost cousin, beer, seafood, wine, wine, wine… and mild disappointment at discovering we were not, in fact, heirs to a tomato empire.
ANYWAY…
Naturally, while I was there I picked up a couple local brews for me and me boi Sammy to test (another Jersey beer coming next week folks).
Fast forward to test day. I went into this one with a touch of ambivalence… but I’ll say it straight: it’s fantastic!
Herm Gold opens with a fantastically zesty lemon nose (yes, “fantastically” is now official beer review English). The citrus isn’t overpowering, but it carries through nicely into the drinking, and let me tell you, the drinking is good. Proper good.
It’s crisp, smooth, and just an absolute joy from start to finish. There’s a perfectly judged medium bitterness rounding things off, followed by a soft but lingering aftertaste that keeps you coming back for another sip.
Just delightful.
On a side note, the island of Herm has always held a bit of mystique for me. Still haven’t visited. It sits just off the NW coast of Jersey, a real wee boi of an island—about 1.5 miles north to south and half a mile across. Best part? No cars. Just tractors and quads for essential business.
And the reason I mention it here, Liberation make a point of representing all of the Channel Islands, not just Jersey. Fair play to them for that. Especially considering that in May 1945, all the islands were liberated from Nazi occupation.
Jymi’s Rating: 85%
SAMMY SAY’S…
The first thing that struck me about Herm Gold was how much the beer mirrors the island’s (Herm’s) landscape. The aroma rises gently, grassy and floral, like walking through the meadows above beaches when the wind carries the scent of wildflowers across the path. There’s a springlike freshness to it, a sense of new growth and open space, the kind of nose that makes you breathe a little deeper without realising.
A good fizz greets you on the first sip, bright and lively, the way the sea breaks against the rocks. The flavour is crisp and refreshing, clean in a way that suits an island where everything feels stripped back to essentials. There’s a hint of sherbet lemon tucked into the taste, a little spark of citrus that lifts the whole experience, followed by a gentle bitter‑butter finish that lingers just long enough to make you want another mouthful. It’s the kind of beer that fits perfectly after a long walk along the coastal paths, sun on your shoulders, sea birds tracing lazy arcs overhead.
What surprised me most was how effortlessly drinkable it is. Some beers fight for your attention; Herm Gold just settles in beside you, confident in its simplicity. It’s refreshing without being thin, characterful without being heavy, and it carries a quiet charm that feels very much in tune with the island itself. You could happily spend an afternoon with a few of these, watching the tide shift and the light change on the water.
Herm is a place that rewards slowing down, and Herm Gold feels brewed with that same philosophy. A bit of a belter, really. It’s the kind of beer that tastes best when you’ve earned it by wandering somewhere beautiful.
Sammy’s Rating: 87%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 86%
MOB review next weekend: SESSION IPA by STINKY BAY BREWING CO
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Bluesky: @museonbooze.bsky.social
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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M O B 2026
SMOG RAT
BEER REVIEW: 450
BREWER: Ossett Brewery, West Yorkshire, England
STYLE: Double NEIPA
ABV: 8.4%
VESSEL: 440ml tin
DATE OF POST: 22nd May 2026
SAMMY SAY’S…
The night it walked into my glass, the city was drowning in haze. Not the kind that rolls in from the docks, but the thick, golden kind that catches the light and makes you think something good might finally be about to happen. They called it Smog Rat; a double New England IPA with a reputation for slipping through shadows and leaving a trail of tropical perfume behind. I liked the name. Had a certain grit to it. But the rat on the can? Let’s just say I’ve seen alleyway sketches with more charm. Shame, really. The colours were good. The font had swagger. But that rodent… it looked like it had been drawn by someone who’d never met a rat and didn’t want to.
Still, I poured it. And in the glass, it looked like a dream trying to remember itself. Straw‑golden, hazy as a back‑alley poker room, the kind of haze that tells you the story’s only just getting started. The nose came first; pineapple, mango, the sweet tropical notes of a far‑off place where trouble tastes like fruit and the nights never end. It was the kind of aroma that makes you think the beer’s about to take you somewhere.
The first sip was smooth, rounded, almost soft. Mango and pineapple again, walking arm‑in‑arm like two crooks who know the streets better than you ever will. It was good. Better than good, even. But as the story unfolded, I realised it only had one chapter. No twist. No sharp turn. No bitter sting in the tail to pull the whole thing together. A little more bite and it might’ve been a classic. But more bitterness would’ve broken that velvet mouthfeel, and maybe that was the trade‑off. Every noir has its compromise.
I liked the tagline, “the latest haze.” It fit. Smog Rat felt like a character who could’ve been something big, something bold, something the city whispered about long after closing time. Instead, it settled for being a decent player in a crowded cast. A good beer, a likeable rogue, but one that never quite steps out of the fog to become the legend it hints at.
In another life, maybe it would’ve reached those promised heights. But in this one, it’s just a hazy figure disappearing into the night, leaving you wondering what might’ve been.
Sammy’s Rating: 72%
JYMI SAY’S…
Three Rats are chilling out shootin’ the sh*t…
Rat one says, you know what, I’m a pretty tough guy. You see that poison they lay out for us, well, I gather it up into a line and just waff it up my nose.
Rat two says, yeah that’s pretty tough, but I’m pretty tough too. You know those traps they leave out for us, well, I use those for my daily bench press work out.
Rat three leans back in his rodent deckchair, agrees that that is indeed pretty tough, throws back a shot of bourbon, gets up and walks off.
Where ya goin’? the other two ask…
Upstairs to f*ck the cat, Rat three replies.
Smog Rat is defo Rat three and the strongest in the Rat range from Ossett.
It’s also a clever name, what with a NEIPAs natural look in glass being hazy.
And it’s ALSO a really good brew!
Not complex necessarily, but does plenty… let’s unpick.
A citrus yet dank aroma leads the way, not spectacular, but decent enough.
Early sip is also citrus and dank but does pique your interest especially as in the mid sip it instantly smooths and softens out, followed by tropical taste in swallow with tiny notes of white grape. There is then a medium to high bitterness to round things off. Again, not complex, but certainly a journey.
As you move through this hazy ol’ rat all the above start to overlap which I do understand, but is ultimately to the detriment of the brew. Though without doubt remaining in the very good bracket, it’s probably because of this that it doesn’t reach excellence.
Without doubt worth a go though and currently only a tickle over £4 in Tesco. Which for an 8.4% very good beer, is a *bloomin’ barg’ bruv’!
*please don’t forget your local bottle shop though! Supermarkets for fridge fillers yes, and the odd bargain like Smoggers here. But most of the real bangers lie where you need to go a lookin’ x
Jymi’s Rating: 78%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 75%
MOB review next weekend: HERM GOLD by LIBERATION BREWING CO
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Bluesky: @museonbooze.bsky.social
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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M O B 2026
CARIB
BEER REVIEW: 449
BREWER: Carib Brewery, Port of Spain, Trinidad & Tobago
STYLE: Lager
ABV: 5%
VESSEL: 330ml clear bottle
DATE OF POST: 15th May 2026
SAMMY SAY’S…
Carib is one of those beers that instantly makes you think of heat, colour, and the kind of easygoing rhythm that only the Caribbean seems able to produce. Brewed in Trinidad and Tobago, it’s built for sunshine, a light, crisp lager designed to cool you down rather than challenge your palate. The aroma is classic lager territory: gentle malt, a touch of sweetness, nothing showy, just that familiar scent you get when someone cracks open a cold bottle on a warm day.
The flavour follows the same path. It’s straightforward, clean, and uncomplicated, the kind of taste that doesn’t demand attention but happily keeps you company. There’s a soft graininess, a little fizz, and a finish that slips away quickly, almost as if the beer knows you’re really here for the moment rather than the complexity. It’s easy to imagine it tasting better the hotter the day gets. It’s the sort of beer that feels perfectly matched to turquoise water, sun‑bleached wood, and the slow sway of palm trees.
Carib’s branding leans into that identity. Bright Caribbean colours, sunshine‑yellow accents, and a bottle that looks like it belongs in a beach cooler rather than a fridge at home. Even the name feels right, short, sunny, and instantly evocative of where it comes from. It’s a beer with a sense of place baked into it.
Drinking it in England, though, you can feel the distance. Without the heat, the sea breeze, or the soundtrack of island life, it becomes a perfectly serviceable lager. It’s refreshing enough, pleasant enough, but missing the magic that its home environment gives it. You can tell it would taste a million dollars on a Caribbean beach, but here, on a cooler day far from the tropics, it settles into being a bang‑average lager with a warm soul waiting for the right setting to shine.
Sammy’s Rating: 44%
JYMI SAY’S…
We’ve been here before, Sammy boi and I. On the 28th March 2004 to be precise. We settled down to test this Caribbean brew full of excitement and youth. This was our original dip into testing and reviewing beers with the dream of one day writing THE BOOK OF BEERS! Unfortunately, we literally had no clue what we were on about back then, whereas today… ok, moving on.
My notes 22 years ago stated that Carib would ‘slip down lovely on a hot summers day’ and I stand by that statement. But does that actually make it a good beer?
Well, not really no.
Carib, while perfectly acceptable and drinkable is also totally forgettable. It is basically just a run of the mill, slightly sweet and slightly limey 5% lager. The quick to fade taste in sip did it no favours either when it came to notching up points under review.
BUT, as mentioned, on a scorching hot summers day it would go down pretty well to be fair to it.
Jymi’s Rating: 48%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 46%
MOB review next weekend: SMOG RAT by OSSETT BREWERY
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Bluesky: @museonbooze.bsky.social
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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M O B 2026
MEAN AS
BEER REVIEW: 448
BREWER: St Ives Brewery, Cornwall, England
STYLE: NZ IPA
ABV: 6%
VESSEL: 440ml tin
DATE OF POST: 8th May 2026
SAMMY SAY’S…
Mean As sets you up beautifully before you’ve even cracked the can. The name growls with attitude, all sharp elbows and swagger, but the can itself is pure hippy sunshine. Bright colours, soft vibes, peace‑and‑love energy. The contrast is brilliant. You look at it and think, “Alright then, what are you going to be?” It’s the kind of juxtaposition that makes you genuinely excited for the first sip.
The nose keeps that optimism alive. There’s citrus, clean and bright, with a little basil tucked in behind it. Contained, yes, but promising enough to make you lean in. It hints at something lively, something with a bit of personality waiting to break through.
Then the drinking begins, and the beer reveals itself more quietly than expected. The flavours are subtle, orange and fig drifting in gently, giving way to a faint basil note. It’s decent, even pleasant, but it never quite rises to the boldness suggested by its name or the playful confidence of its packaging. You keep waiting for the “mean” to show up, or at least a bit of swagger, but the beer stays soft‑spoken.
There’s nothing wrong with it. In fact, there’s a calm charm to the whole experience. But the contrast between what the can promises and what the beer delivers is impossible to ignore. It’s a beer that looks like it’s going to shout but ends up speaking politely.
At fifty‑seven percent, Mean As lands in that space where expectation and reality shake hands awkwardly. A solid enough drink, wrapped in a brilliant concept, but ultimately more mellow than mean.
Sammy’s Rating: 57%
JYMI SAY’S…
It had been a rough week at work but suddenly it was Friday afternoon, the sun was shining and I somehow managed to land myself a half day… Jumped in the car, slammed on the gas (is it still called a gas pedal in an electric car?).
54 mins later I screeched into the drive of MOB HQ knowing what was waiting for me… MEAN AS. I had been particularly looking forward to reviewing this brew. Why? Well, the tin art is fantastic AND with the trio of hops used (Nelson Sauvin, Riwaka and Motueka) I just knew Mean As was going to be a cracker… but I was wrong.
This beer does not come across at all like a NZ IPA. I was taken aback, confused, confuzzled.
After the pre drink excitement and rush home from work I really didn’t need this. All I wanted to do, and thought all I would have to do, is sit back and enjoy Mean As, writing a review going something like… Bloomin’ good brew this. But no, suddenly I had to think. Gad damn it!
Ok, MA comes across a touch sharp and almost a little sour in flavour. Not at all unpleasant but certainly not what I was expecting. There should have been an insanely drinkable smoothness here, but there was not. Yes, there is some citrus in the sip with pokes of fennel knocking around but nothing was exploding.
I just think at this ABV with the hops used Mean As should have been a whole lot better.
Bad beer? Definitely not.
Disappointment? Definitely.
Bit of a fail ultimately? Kinda is yeah.
Jymi’s Rating: 64%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 60.5%
MOB review next weekend: CARIB by CARIB BREWERY
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Bluesky: @museonbooze.bsky.social
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M O B 2026
COSMIC DROP : BERRY PUNCH
BEER REVIEW: 447
BREWER: Beavertown, North London, England
STYLE: Fruit Beer
ABV: 4%
VESSEL: 330ml tin
DATE OF POST: 1st May 2026
JYMI SAY’S…
This is a dreadful beer / sweet and weak alcoholic berry squash.
Wasn’t worthy of the crackin’ lil squat Beavertown glass I procured when Beavertown were still Beavertown.
And isn’t worthy of any more words.
Jymi’s Rating: 14%
SAMMY SAY’S…
Absolutely awful.
The artificial flavour is cloying, sweet and has no respite or redemption at all. This beer is damaging the fruit beer genre. It’s the kind of brew that gives beer a bad name.
Aimed at the mass market, it’s a travesty to beers.
Want my advice? Avoid at all costs. If this was the only beer available, I wouldn’t be drinking beer. Now that’s saying something.
Sammy’s Rating: 15%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 14.5%
MOB review next weekend: MEAN AS by ST IVES BREWERY
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Bluesky: @museonbooze.bsky.social
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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M O B 2026
SURREY NIRVANA
BEER REVIEW: 446
BREWER: Hogs Back Brewery, Surrey, England
STYLE: Session IPA
ABV: 4%
VESSEL: 500ml brown bottle
DATE OF POST: 24th April 2026
JYMI SAY’S…
Coming at me with a name like this I thought was just unfair…
I’m a Middlesex Cricket fan therefore anything Surrey is just off limits… other than the village of Shere, Box Hill, Dorking, the Surrey Hills, Godalming, the Winkworth Arboretum and the mighty Chiddingfold.
I’m also a huge Nirvana fan (band, but yeah also the highest spiritual state one can be).
Also, coming at me with such a bland bottle design yet with a beautiful… pig, and then a clashing generic Hogs Back Brewery orange bottle top, put me in a fuzz / fizz.
I had to calm myself pre open, pour and sip.
Ok, this is one of those beers that hasn’t registered points in too many categories but is actually a really nice brew.
And from here I’m going to switch to live notes as feel it probably best represents:
Touch fruity. Touch citrus. Touch dry in finish.
Plenty of depth for a 4%er.
Would be great for a session TBF!
Surrey Nirvana, though nothing to get overly excited about is certainly worthy of a place in your beer stable for the right occasion.
Jymi’s Rating: 67%
SAMMY SAY’S…
Surrey Nirvana doesn’t arrive with fireworks or fanfare, but it doesn’t need to. It opens with a gentle hint of orange on the nose, a small but pleasant surprise that sets the tone. Nothing showy, nothing over‑the‑top, just a clean, citrus lift that feels honest.
That orange carries through into the drinking, soft and steady. As the sip settles, a subtle bitterness begins to build, growing more noticeable as you move through the glass. It never overwhelms, instead giving the beer a bit of backbone and keeping things refreshingly balanced. The overall impression is one of bitter orange, simple, tidy, and actually very pleasant.
The mouthfeel is straightforward, doing its job without fuss. The packaging is solid, the name fits neatly, and the whole thing feels like a beer that knows exactly what it is: a dependable session option that won’t let you down.
It’s not revolutionary, but it isn’t trying to be. It’s the kind of pint you could return to without hesitation, the sort of beer that quietly earns your respect rather than demanding it.
Sammy’s Rating: 67%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 67%
MOB review next weekend: COSMIC DROP : BERRY PUNCH by BEAVERTOWN
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Bluesky: @museonbooze.bsky.social
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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M O B 2026
PEAR & VANILLA SWIRL
BEER REVIEW: 445
BREWER: Vault City, Lothian, Scotland
STYLE: Fruited Pastry Sour
ABV: 4.8%
VESSEL: 440ml tin
DATE OF POST: 17th April 2026
JYMI SAY’S…
Vault City, you’ve done it again!
Am I surprised? Nope. These guys n gals are flippin’ magicians!
As stated in previous reviews, I’m a big fan of Pear.
I’m also a big fan of pastry, though I’m not sure I’ve disclosed this before. However, one can never be certain.
So, for VC to deliver me a Pear Tart in beer form… well, I can only thank them, then applaud them, and then thank them again.
This beer is fantastic.
There is a touch of vanilla and cinnamon sweetness, though thankfully not too much. This is accompanied by a low level of sourness. Not much but just enough to balance the sweetness out.
The mouthfeel is off the charts and the nose is exactly as you would expect.
Yet again, Vault City have just NAILED IT!
Jymi’s Rating: 90%
SAMMY SAY’S…
There are breweries that make beer, and then there is Vault City, who appear to dabble in something closer to spellcraft. Pear and Vanilla Swirl arrives with the confidence of a potion already knowing it will work. Even before the first sip, the packaging carries that familiar Vault City charm, the kind of cohesive visual magic that makes every can feel like part of a wider enchanted library.
In the glass, the beer glows with a deep butterscotch hue, rich and warm, almost like the butterbeer served in the wizarding world. It looks less like a drink and more like an incantation waiting to be activated. And then the aroma rises. Bags of pear and cinnamon leap out with uncanny precision. It’s astonishing how Vault City manage to hit these notes so perfectly, as if they’ve trapped the very essence of the fruit and spice rather than merely flavouring a beer. No brewer should be able to do this with such accuracy unless they’re stirring cauldrons behind the scenes.
The first sip only deepens the mystery. Pear dominates, bright and juicy, but never drifting into the territory of perry. Cinnamon flickers through like a spark from a wand. Then, moments after swallowing, the pastry sensation unfurls; soft, warm, and almost impossible to explain. How do they time flavours like this? How do they choreograph them so each arrives exactly when it should? It feels like alchemy, the kind that turns base ingredients into something golden.
A slight sourness cuts through the sweetness, refreshing and deliberate, like a final flourish from a brewer who knows exactly how to keep the spell balanced. It’s mesmerising. Truly, it amazes the mind how Vault City manage to pull this off again and again.
Of course, not everyone will fall under its charm. Some drinkers prefer their beers grounded in the ordinary world. But for those willing to step into something whimsical, Pear and Vanilla Swirl is a marvel. The sort of beer that makes you wonder whether the brewers are really just brewers at all, or whether they’ve discovered a secret art the rest of us can only taste, never understand.
Sammy’s Rating: 93%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 91.5%
MOB review next weekend: SURREY NIRVANA by HOGS BACK BREWERY
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Bluesky: @museonbooze.bsky.social
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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M O B 2026
OLD SESSION HEN
BEER REVIEW: 444
BREWER: Morland, Oxfordshire, England
STYLE: Light Ale
ABV: 3.4%
VESSEL: 500ml clear bottle
DATE OF POST: 10th April 2026
SAMMY SAY’S…
Old Session Hen arrived in the coop one dull afternoon, a bottle left carelessly near the wire where the tired old hen liked to scratch. She had little else to occupy her days, so she regarded the beer with the same resigned curiosity she gave to every small novelty that broke the monotony of her cage.
She leaned in first, giving it a tentative sniff. A faint floral note drifted up, light as a rumour of spring she’d never actually experienced. There was a touch of malt, a hint of salt, but everything so subtle it felt like the beer was afraid to make a fuss. She understood that feeling all too well.
When she finally tasted it, the first thing she noticed was a soft butteriness. Pleasant enough, but it faded quickly into something thin and almost lagery. The flavour didn’t linger or deepen. It simply existed, mild and unremarkable, like another day of scratching the same patch of ground. Drinkable, certainly, but not something she’d cluck about.
The mouthfeel didn’t help its case. It slipped away quickly, leaving no impression at all. Even the packaging seemed half‑hearted, promising more character than the beer ever delivered. She eyed the label and shook her head. Naming a beer Old Session Hen wasn’t even bold, but the drink itself didn’t have the grit or personality to live up to the title. If anything, it felt like a distant cousin who’d never worked a day in the coop.
Still, she wasn’t entirely unkind. Life in a cage had taught her to appreciate even the smallest diversions. And this had given her something to ponder while she mulled over her existence and the rhythm of her own tired claws.
In the end, it was a beer that went down easily enough but left her feeling the same as before: thoughtful, slightly disappointed, and ready to return to her quiet scratching. It was, she decided, the very definition of meh. But on a slow day in a small cage, even meh was something.
Sammy’s Rating: 45%
JYMI SAY’S…
Ok, let’s start with the negatives…
The name of this beer is just annoying. I mean it describes what the beer is about well and does fit in line with Morland’s hen thing (honestly, what is that all about? Old Speckled Hen was a flippin’ car!), but overall for me anyway, it’s just an irritating name.
Also, the packaging is just shocking. Only slightly saved by MORLAND being embossed on the bottle, over all this clear bottle containing golden liquid just looks cheap, tacky and dated.
To conclude the negs, this beer ain’t great.
To begin the positives, this beer is surprisingly ok and fairly drinkable!
The nose is FANTASTIC!
Sorry, for me, the nose is just a wonderful trip back in time. It’s actually quite cheap and artificial but, there is something about it that I Iove! It’s tangy, full and defo reminds me a having a sip of my Dad’s pint when I was like 7 or something (so mid 80s).
To the taste… seeing that OSH is only 3.4% there is a surprising amount of body and taste. Also, somehow it doesn’t fall off a cliff in the aftertaste.
There is not much more to say really as the brew kinda does nothing, but seeing what this beer is, it is perfectly drinkable with Morland nailing the USP to be fair to them.
Jymi’s Rating: 50%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 47.5%
MOB review next weekend: PEAR & VANILLA SWIRL by VAULT CITY
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
Bluesky: @museonbooze.bsky.social
Instagram: muse.on.booze
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M O B 2026
STEADY ROLLING MAN
BEER REVIEW: 443
BREWER: Deya, Gloucestershire, England
STYLE: Pale Ale
ABV: 5.2%
VESSEL: 500ml tin
DATE OF POST: 3rd April 2026
SAMMY SAY’S…
Steady Rolling Man steps onto the stage with confidence, dressed in pink and blue, guitar man on the label looking like he’s about to slide into a twelve‑bar groove. The whole package hums with blues energy. The name ties it all together, like a well‑placed turnaround that tells you exactly what kind of tune you’re in for. It’s a strong first impression, the kind that makes you nod before you’ve even taken a sip.
The nose opens with tropical grapefruit, bright and lively, but with that sour edge that keeps things honest. It’s the kind of aroma that doesn’t pretend to be something it’s not. Expected, sure, but delivered with enough clarity to feel like a clean guitar line cutting through the mix.
Then the drinking begins, and the beer settles into its rhythm. Bitter‑sweet grapefruit leads the melody, steady and sure. Nothing overly complex, but it doesn’t need to be. It’s balanced, confident, and full of presence, like a bluesman who knows one good note played right can say more than a dozen played fast. The mouthfeel is spot on, carrying the flavour with a smoothness that keeps the whole thing rolling.
As you move through the glass, the beer keeps its promise. It’s an ode to its blues inspiration, not by being flashy, but by doing exactly what it sets out to do with heart and precision. A solid groove, a clear voice, and no wasted motion.
Steady Rolling Man earns its place in the setlist. A beer that plays the blues the way they’re meant to be played: simple, soulful, and steady.
Sammy’s Rating: 78%
JYMI SAY’S…
A beer that took the British craft scene one step further forward. A beer that comes with an undeniable reputation for being an absolute cracker. A beer that was soooooo successful that it is now uncool to like it in some beer nerd circles. That is testament to how good it was / is.
Now, I have consumed SRM before. I had two pints about 4 years ago in a lovely lil bottle shop / tasting room in Bridport called The Pursuit of Hoppiness. Glorious.
I also had one pint of SRM around a year ago at The Audley in Mayfair, and it only cost me £7 which I thought was a bit of a bargain seeing the location, beer and today’s prices!. Again, glorious.
But they are the only times Steady Rolling Man has passed my lips, so never before from a tin.
Time to pop the top and see what we got…
Well, it certainly is soft as proclaimed buy our brewer Deya, on the tin. It is like, REALLY SOFT, and I’m not just talking about the utterly divine pillow soft mouthfeel. No, softness creeps into every corner of this Pale Ale. There are without doubt tropical tones to this beer but guess what? Yeah, they’re soft. There is also an element of pine that again comes across as… soft.
Steady Rolling Man is insanely drinkable and would work very very well as a session beer, though you would have to be mindful of the 5.2% situation the further you got into the evening. This brew is so delicate and easy that I can fully understand why it inserted itself into British craft beer history. OK, SRM doesn’t necessarily explode with flavour but this time around I’m kinda glad that it doesn’t as it would take away from the majesty that it possesses.
Fantastic.
Jymi’s Rating: 85%
MUSE ON BOOZE RATING: 81.5%
MOB review next weekend: OLD SESSION HEN by MORLAND
Sammy & Jymi – Musing on Booze weekly since 2017
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M O B 2026
MUSE ON BOOZE 